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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 HANOI 003237
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INL AND EAP/MLS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNARPRELPGOVKCRMPINSVMCNARC
SUBJECT: INCSR, PART I, VIETNAM
Ref: SECSTATE 209560
¶I. SUMMARY
¶1. (U) The Government of Vietnam (GVN) continued to make
progress in its counternarcotics efforts during 2005. Specific
actions included: sustained efforts of counternarcotics law
enforcement authorities to pursue drug traffickers; increased
attention to interagency coordination; continued cooperation with
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); increased
attention to both drug treatment and harm reduction; continued
public awareness activities; and additional bilateral cooperation
on HIV/AIDS. The two sides continued to implement training and
assistance projects under the counternarcotics Letter of
Agreement (LOA). Operational cooperation with DEA's Hanoi
Country Office (HCO) continued to lag expectations, but was
improved over 2004 with some positive cooperation reported.
Vietnam is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN
Single Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol and the 1971 UN
Convention on Psychotropic Substances. In 2005, Vietnam was
removed from the list of major drug-producing countries. End
Summary.
II. STATUS OF COUNTRY
¶2. (U) Cultivation of opium in Vietnam is no longer a major
problem, which was the reason for the removal of Vietnam from the
list of "major drug-producing" countries. The GVN claims less
than 50 hectares of opium under cultivation nationwide and
official UNODC statistical tables no longer list Vietnam
separately in drug production analyses. Cultivation in Vietnam
probably accounts for about one percent of cultivation in
Southeast Asia, according to a law enforcement estimate; DEA has
no evidence of any Vietnamese-produced narcotics reaching the
United States. There appear to be small amounts of cannabis
grown in remote regions of southern Vietnam.
¶3. (U) Vietnam has not been considered a confirmed source or
transit country for precursors. In an effort to support
Vietnam's efforts to enhance its precursor control capacity, the
GVN and UNODC are cooperating on a project titled "Interdiction
and Seizure Capacity Building with Special Emphasis on ATS and
Precursors." Implementation of that project continued
successfully into 2005 with the creation of counter-drug
interagency task forces in six "hotspot" provinces.
¶4. (U) In 2005, the GVN continued to link the Golden Triangle
area to most of the heroin supplied into Vietnam for consumption
or transit to other countries in the region. The GVN also
perceives close connections between Vietnamese and foreign
traffickers. GVN authorities are particularly concerned about
rising ATS use, especially Ecstasy, among urban youth and, during
2005, increased the tempo of enforcement and awareness programs
that they hope will avoid a youth epidemic.
¶5. (U) Despite some high-profile cases in 2005, lack of training,
resources and experience both among law enforcement and judicial
officials continues to plague Vietnamese counter drug efforts,
according to law enforcement sources and UNODC. Embassy
consultations with the UN and the GVN, together with visits to
provincial drug hotspots, have demonstrated that resource
constraints are pervasive. GVN counternarcotics officials note
that Vietnam, a developing country, will face resource
constraints for the foreseeable future.
¶6. (U) Drug laws remain very tough in Vietnam. For possession or
trafficking of 600 grams or more of heroin, or 20 kilograms of
opium gum or cannabis resin, the death penalty is mandatory.
¶7. (U) Foreign law enforcement sources do not believe that major
trafficking groups have moved into Vietnam. Relatively small
groups, perhaps five to 15 individuals, who are often related to
each other, usually do most narcotics trafficking. DEA believes
that as Vietnam becomes a more attractive transit country, larger
trafficking groups could become more prominent.
¶8. (U) With the exception of the recently signed Counternarcotics
LOA, the USG has no extradition, mutual legal assistance or
precursor chemical agreements with Vietnam. The LOA includes
three specific counternarcotics training projects. An update to
the LOA will add additional projects and funding. Following a
November, 2005 meeting of Embassy, FBI, DEA and MPS officials in
Hanoi, both sides are at work on new legal documents to improve
the framework for counternarcotics and law enforcement
cooperation.
¶9. (U) Vietnam is a party to three UN Drug Control Conventions,
including the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971
Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 Convention
Against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances.
III. COUNTRY ACTIONS AGAINST DRUGS IN 2005
Policy initiatives
------------------
¶10. (U) The structure of the GVN's counternarcotics efforts is
built around the National Committee on AIDS, Drugs and
Prostitution Control (NCADP), which includes a broad spectrum of
GVN ministries and mass organizations. In addition, Ministry of
Public Security (MPS), as NCADP's standing member, has a
specialized unit to combat and suppress drug crimes.
¶11. (U) According to UNODC, the GVN intensified its attention to
the drug issue in 2005, including increased attention from the
State-controlled media and additional GVN-funded training
courses, conferences and international delegations. Many
provinces and cities implemented their own drug awareness and
prevention programs, as well as demand reduction and drug
treatment.
¶12. (U) The GVN continues to view drug awareness and prevention
as a vital tool and a significant objective in its fight against
drugs as well as an integral part of its effort to comply fully
with the 1988 UN Drug Convention. The GVN has continued to rely
heavily on anti-drug propaganda, culminating in the annual drug
awareness week in June, and other MPS-identified drives
throughout the year. Officially sponsored activities cover every
aspect of society, from schools to unions to civic organizations
and government offices. In 2005, the GVN extended its 2004
effort to destigmatize drug addicts in order to increase their
odds of successful treatment.
¶13. (U) Enforcement played a role in the GVN's 2005 counter drug
activities as well. This year, in addition to significant drug
seizures and busts in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, MPS cracked the
country's biggest ever case in Phu Tho Province, and recorded
large seizures in other provinces throughout the country.
¶14. (U) As of the end of 2005, there were 12 implementing decrees
for the national law on drug suppression, drafted with UNODC's
assistance. According to UNODC, these decrees still require
implementing regulations to allow law enforcement authorities to
use techniques such as controlled deliveries, informants and
undercover officers.
¶15. (U) GVN sources confirmed that drug crime continued to be a
problem in 2005, and there was another increase in the per-case
quantity of drugs seized. According to MOLISA, the drug
addiction relapse rate is still high, at least 85 percent. As of
September, there were 170,000 officially identified drug users
nationwide with 83 treatment centers providing treatment to
between 55,000 and 60,000 drug addicts annually. The number of
"unofficial" drug users is much higher.
¶16. (U) In March 2005, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai approved the
national drug control master plan through 2010, after the
successful completion of the 2001 - 2005 counternarcotics master
plan. Under the new master plan, there are six areas of priority
technical assistance, including law enforcement, treatment,
demand reduction, supply reduction, legislation and capacity
enhancement, as well as building the legal framework on money
laundering and precursor control. The GVN continues to look for
assistance from foreign donors in these areas.
¶17. (U) The 2005 national-level budget for drug control reached
approximately USD 13.5 million. However, according to SODC, the
actual spending on all counternarcotics activities is higher when
"self mobilized" and contributed funding from localities
throughout the country is factored in. As in past years,
observers agreed that overall lack of resources continued to be a
major constraint in counternarcotics activities.
¶18. (U) In 2005, Vietnam continued its efforts in regional and
multilateral law enforcement coordination, a key element towards
full compliance with the 1988 UN Drug Convention. Vietnam has
existing agreements and MOUs with China, Burma, Thailand,
Cambodia, Laos, Hungary, Russia and the United States.
Multilaterally, Vietnam continued to work closely with UNODC,
with three counternarcotics projects underway.
¶19. (U) Vietnam continued to cooperate with INTERPOL during 2005.
Much of this cooperation involved assisting authorities from
Canada, Germany and Australia in investigating drug trafficking
cases involving overseas Vietnamese and criminal organizations
located in Vietnam. All international law enforcement
representatives in Vietnam, however, acknowledged that real
operational cooperation on counternarcotics cases is minimal or
nonexistent due to legal prohibitions against foreign security
personnel operating on Vietnamese soil. Without changes in
Vietnamese law to permit foreign law enforcement officers to work
on drug cases in Vietnam, "cooperation" will remain a function of
information exchange and Vietnamese police carrying out law
enforcement activities on behalf of foreign agencies on a case-by-
case basis. USG law enforcement agencies hold out some hope that
the development of agency-to-agency agreements will improve the
cooperation climate slightly.
¶20. (U) During 2005, cooperation between GVN law enforcement
authorities and DEA's Hanoi country office marginally improved,
although DEA agents have not been permitted officially to work
with GVN counternarcotics investigators. Cooperation was limited
to receiving information and investigative requests from DEA,
holding occasional meetings and providing limited responses to
DEA's requests. Thus far, counternarcotics police have declined
to share detailed information with DEA or cooperate
operationally. GVN officials explain that drug information is
subject to national security regulations and not releasable to
foreigners. DEA did receive unprecedented cooperation on two
undercover money laundering operations where MPS provided an
undercover officer to pick up alleged drug money that was
remitted to Vietnam through a money laundering organization in
the United States. However, despite requests made by DEA, MPS
provided no investigation information on the organizations or
businesses that facilitated the illegal money remittance in
Vietnam.
¶21. (U) More positively, the Embassy and SODC coordinated two
more courses under the Counternarcotics LOA in 2005 and are
working on at least four for 2006.
Accomplishments
---------------
¶22. (U) In 2005, the GVN approved a capacity strengthening
program in the General Department of Customs, and established a
counternarcotics task force within the Department of Coast Guard.
This department is to coordinate the anti-drug effort at sea.
Also, during the awareness month of June, MPS launched Vietnam's
first official anti-drug website "www.phongchongmatuy.com.vn".
¶23. (U) The GVN continued its policy of strict punishment for
drug offenses. Seizures of opium, heroin, and amphetamine-type
stimulants (ATS) increased during the reporting period.
According to GVN statistics, during the first ten months of
calendar year 2005, there were 9,936 drug cases involving 15,018
traffickers. Total seizures include 256 kilograms of heroin,
55.1 kilograms of opium, 3,339 kilograms of cannabis, 33,756 ATS
tablets and 5,012 ampoules of addictive pharmaceuticals and other
substances, representing double digit percentage increases over
previous years.
¶24. (U) In addition to significant achievements in anti-drug
awareness campaigns in 2005, the GVN has tried to educate 100
percent of the localities throughout the country about drugs in
the hope that at least 80 percent of the population will be made
aware of drug-related problems. The effectiveness of this effort
in the fight against drugs remains unevaluated.
Corruption
----------
¶25. (U) During 2005, the GVN continued to demonstrate
determination and mobilize the "entire political system" to
combat corruption. Vietnam's first anti-corruption law was
passed during the Fall National Assembly session. Under the new
law, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was appointed "Commander in
Chief" of the Anti-Corruption Committee.
¶26. (U) In 2005 the GVN made anti-corruption policy statements at
all levels of government and conducted some high-profile
corruption cases involving politically connected government
officials, but did not single out narcotics-related corruption
for specific attention. PM Khai said during the Government's
January 2005 meeting that, in 2005, Vietnam "declared war"
against corruption. Separately, in a meeting with voters, Khai
called for the people's "combined efforts" against corruption.
In January, during a conference on state inspection, State
President Tran Duc Luong called for stepping up the combat
against corruption. Furthermore, President of the Vietnam
Journalists' Association Hong Vinh urged local reporters to
provide in-depth coverage of the fight against corruption. The
Mission has no information linking any senior official of the GVN
with engaging in, encouraging or facilitating the illicit
production or distribution of such drugs or substances, or the
laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions.
Concerning narcotics-related corruption, the GVN did demonstrate
a willingness in 2005 to prosecute officials, though the targets
were relatively low-level.
¶27. (U) The UN, law enforcement agencies and the GVN continue to
view corruption in Vietnam as an endemic problem that exists at
all levels and in all sectors. Past GVN estimates stated that as
much as 19 percent of the investment in major infrastructure
projects is lost to poor management and corruption. Vietnam has
signed the UN Convention against Corruption and endorsed a
regional anti-corruption action plan at an ADB meeting in Manila.
Recognizing the need for more anti-corruption assistance, the GVN
signed an agreement with Sweden in September 2002 for research on
socio-economic policy and anti-corruption measures. Under the
USD 2.7 million project, scheduled to run through 2005, Sweden
will provide resources to assist Vietnam in developing
appropriate anti-corruption policies.
¶28. (U) According to UNODC, "narcotics-related corruption is only
a very small part of overall corruption." However, significant
levels of official corruption exist in Vietnam. Both the GVN and
the Communist Party have made combating corruption a top
priority, and senior officials have made unambiguous statements
that not only must officials not engage in corruption but also
that they will be held personally responsible for such wrongdoing
by their relatives and subordinates as well. Reports from recent
high-level Communist Party meetings in advance of the 2006
National Party Congress suggest that the Party is closely focused
on addressing corruption as a way to enhance its standing and
credibility with the Vietnamese public.
¶29. (U) To further its compliance with the 1988 UN Drug
Convention, Vietnam moved ahead in 2005 to increase both
operational and formal cooperation with neighboring countries,
countries in the region and the world. Vietnamese border
provinces have also entered into local-level counternarcotics
agreements with bordering provinces in China, Laos and Cambodia,
and exchanged working level visits of Customs, Border Army and
counternarcotics officials. In addition, Cambodia, Laos and
Vietnam met in Vientiane in August 2005 to agree on the need for
stronger counternarcotics cooperation, especially across borders.
The countries also reaffirmed their political commitment to
intensify anti-drug efforts. Vietnam also participates regularly
in regional counternarcotics events and national-level meetings.
In 2005, Vietnam signed several agreements and MOUs with ASEAN
countries as well as Australia, New Zealand and China.
¶30. (U) In addition to the U.S. agreement, Vietnam has
counternarcotics agreements and MOUs with seven other countries:
Burma (March 1995), Thailand (November 1998), Russia (October
1998), Hungary (June 1998), Cambodia (June 1998), Laos (July
1998) and China (July 2001). Vietnam is currently precluded by
statute from extraditing Vietnamese nationals, but the GVN is
contemplating legislative changes. However, at the request of
the USG (and in accordance with the 1988 UN Drug Convention),
Vietnam has in the past agreed to rendition requests and returned
several non-citizens to the united States.
Cultivation/production
----------------------
¶31. (SBU) The GVN and UNODC confirm that small amounts of opium
is grown in hard-to-reach upland and mountainous regions of some
northern, northwestern and central provinces, especially Son La,
Dien Bien, Yen Bai, Thanh Hoa, Cao Bang and Ha Giang provinces.
According to USG sources, the total number of hectares under
opium poppy cultivation has been reduced sharply from an
estimated 12,900 hectares in 1993, when the GVN began opium poppy
eradication, to 12.9 hectares in 2005. UNODC and law enforcement
sources do not view production as a significant problem in
Vietnam. There have been recent confirmed reports concerning
indications of ATS production, as well as some seizures of
equipment (i.e., pill presses).
Eradication/crop substitution
-----------------------------
¶32. (U) As part of its efforts to comply fully with the 1988 UN
Drug Convention, the GVN continued in 2005 to eradicate poppy
when found, and to implement crop substitution. At a GVN annual
crop substitution review conference in May 2005, GVN authorities
reported that the 12.9 hectares of poppy plants detected during
the 2004 - 2005 season were completely destroyed. The GVN
appears sincere in its poppy eradication efforts. However, GVN
officials have admitted that complete eradication is probably
unrealistic, given the remoteness of mountainous areas in the
northwest and extreme poverty among ethnic minority populations
who sometimes still use opium for medicinal purposes.
¶33. (U) The GVN's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(MARD) continues to support crop substitution projects in various
provinces. During the reporting year, MARD developed a national
crop substitution program to include in the GVN's approved 2006-
2010 Master Plan. To avoid indirectly encouraging poppy
cultivation through subsidies for eradication, the GVN has placed
all crop substitution subsidies under national poverty
alleviation programs.
Drug flow/transit
-----------------
¶34. (U) While law enforcement sources and UNODC believe that
significant amounts of drugs are transiting Vietnam, DEA has not
yet identified a case of heroin entering the United States
directly from Vietnam. More commonly, drugs, especially heroin
and opium, enter Vietnam from the Golden Triangle via Laos and
Cambodia, making their way to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, where
they are transshipped to other countries such as Australia,
Japan, China, Taiwan and Malaysia, according to SODC. The
Australia-Vietnam heroin smuggling channel is significant. The
ATS flow into the country during 2005 continued to be serious and
not limited to border areas. According to Vice Minister of
Public Security Le The Tiem, in addition to opium and heroin, ATS
can now be found throughout the country.
¶35. (U) According to SODC, in addition to heroin, ATS such as
methamphetamine, amphetamine, diazepam, ecstasy and ketamine
continue to worry the government. Such drugs are most popular in
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other major cities. In May and June,
thousands of discotheques, karaoke bars and cafes, mainly in
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, were raided in a sweep targeting ATS
consumption. Beyond the nightclub raids, police discovered
several cases of amphetamine powder and `ice' (crystal MDMA)
possession, presumably to make tablets in Ho Chi Minh City.
Domestic programs/demand reduction
-----------------------------------
¶36. (U) The GVN views demand reduction as a key component of the
fight against drugs, as well as an integral part of its efforts
to comply fully with the 1988 UN Drug Convention. Within the
GVN, the Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) is
responsible for public drug control information and education
among the general population. During 2005, MOCI continued to
coordinate with other ministries and organizations to conduct
awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS and drugs. The Ministry of
Education and Training (MOET) carries out awareness activities in
schools. Anti-drug material is available in all schools and MOET
sponsors various workshops and campaigns at all school levels.
SODC reported that the border forces continued to play an "active
role" in disseminating anti-drug information to border villages
and communes. UNODC views GVN drug awareness efforts in 2005
"somewhat stronger" than in 2004, while assessing that Vietnam
has already done a "good job" in this endeavor. According to
UNODC, however, these efforts have had minimal impact on the
existing addict and HIV/AIDS population. Behavior modification
is still a problematic issue for the GVN. UNODC believes that
the challenge for Vietnam is to implement awareness campaigns
more regularly at the grassroots level and encourage the
participation of the youth population.
¶37. (U) Vietnam has a network of drug treatment centers.
According to MOLISA, there are now 83 centers at the provincial
level that are capable of accommodating between 55,000 and 60,000
admissions a year. The number of IDUs suffering from AIDS
increased this year.
¶38. (U) Vietnam has also strived to integrate addiction treatment
and vocational training to facilitate the rehabilitation of drug
addicts. Ho Chi Minh City is the pioneer in this campaign.
These efforts include tax and other economic incentives for
businesses that hire recovered addicts. Despite these efforts,
at most 18 percent of recovered addicts find regular employment,
and there has been some domestic criticism that keeping
recovering addicts in supervised "employment parks" is a way of
applying administrative punishment through "detention" in a way
that fails to respect the detainees' civil rights.
HIV/AIDS
--------
¶39. (U) HIV/AIDS is a serious and growing problem in
Vietnam. The epidemic is closely related to intravenous drug use
and commercial sex work. Injection drug users (IDUs), commercial
sex workers (CSWs), CSWs who are also IDUs, men who have sex with
men (MSMs) and sex partners of IDU and CSWs are most-at-risk
populations in Vietnam. At least 60 percent of known HIV cases
are IDUs. The result from 2004 national sentinel surveillance
indicated a 29 percent HIV prevalence among IDUs, however, in
some provinces, the HIV prevalence is reported at higher than 70
percent. The Vietnamese National Strategy for HIV prevention and
Control, launched in March 2004, presents a comprehensive
response to the HIV situation that, apart from Information-
Education-Communication (IEC), includes risk reduction, condom
promotion, and clean needle and syringe programs, voluntary
counseling and testing (VCT) and HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care as
major components of the strategy.
¶40. (U) In June 2004 Vietnam was designated the 15th focus
country of PEPFAR (President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief).
The USG's funding for FY05 is about USD 27.5 million. The
Emergency Plan will support existing agencies working in HIV/AIDS
in Vietnam, including USAID, HHS/CDC, DOL and DOD. Under PEPFAR,
the USG supports Vietnam's effort to develop a comprehensive
HIV/AIDS program emphasizing not only treatment, but also
prevention, care and support. Although the concentration is on
the six highest HIV/AIDS prevalence provinces, the PEPFAR program
also set up voluntary consulting and testing centers in 40 other
provinces of Vietnam. By the end of 2006, an estimated 18,000
drug users will be eligible for release from some 19
rehabilitation centers serving the HCMC area. It is believed
that approximately 60 percent of these individuals will be HIV
positive. In order to facilitate successful transition of
residents to their home communities, the PEPFAR team is
developing a pilot project to provide HIV care and treatment,
drug relapse prevention, and other services. Focusing on two
HCMC area centers, the project includes in-center services
(subject to Congressional approval) and other interventions
targeting four HCMC districts. All plans are being coordinated
with the HCMC Provincial AIDS Committee (PAC).
IV. U.S. POLICY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS
¶41. (U) In 2003, Vietnam and the United States completed and
signed a bilateral counternarcotics agreement, which came into
force in 2004. It represents the first direct bilateral
counternarcotics program assistance to Vietnam. The USG
currently funds training annually for some GVN law enforcement
officers and other officials involved in the legal arena for
courses at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in
Bangkok. Between November 2004 and September 2005, U.S. Embassy
Hanoi sent 70 law enforcement officers for training at the
Academy. From August 5 - 12, 2004, a one-week training course
for Vietnamese counternarcotics officers by American officials,
the first ever under the U.S.-Vietnam Letter of Agreement, was
held in Hanoi, followed by two others in 2005.
¶42. (U) The USG also contributes to counternarcotics efforts
through the UNODC. In 2004, the USG made contributions to two
projects: "Measures to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons
in Vietnam," and "Interdiction and Seizure Capacity Building with
Special Emphasis on ATS and Precursors." The ATS project
achieved its main goals in 2004 with the signing of an
interagency MOU and the establishment of six interagency task
forces at key border "hotspots" around the country.
Other ongoing UNODC projects include:
-- Project AD/VIE/H68 on Technical Assistance to Treatment and
Rehabilitation at the Institutional and Community Level;
-- Project VIE/H61 on Drug Abuse Prevention Among Ethnic
Minorities In Vietnam (Phase II);
-- Project VIE/H05 on Comprehensive Drug Prevention Through
Communications and Community Mobilization;
-- Project VIE/R96 on Strengthening Of The Legal And Law
Enforcement Institutions In Preventing And Combating Trafficking
In Persons In Vietnam.
¶V. THE ROAD AHEAD
¶43. (U) The GVN is acutely aware of the threat of drugs and
Vietnam's increasing domestic drug problem. However, there is
continued suspicion of foreign law enforcement assistance and/or
intervention, especially from the United States, in the
counternarcotics arena. During 2005, as in previous years, the
GVN made progress with ongoing and new initiatives aimed at the
law enforcement and social problems that stem from the illegal
drug trade. Notwithstanding a lack of meaningful operational
cooperation with DEA, the GVN continued to show a willingness to
take unilateral action against drugs and drug trafficking.
Vietnam still faces many internal problems that make fighting
drugs a challenge. With the entry into force of the
counternarcotics LOA, the USG can look forward to enhanced
cooperation in the area of assistance to Vietnamese law
enforcement agencies. Operational cooperation, however, remains
on hold pending the development of a legal framework in Vietnam
to allow foreign law enforcement officers to carry out operations
on Vietnamese soil, or the signing of a bilateral agreement
between the United States and Vietnam that would create a
mechanism for joint investigation and development of drug cases.
VI. STATISTICS
¶44. (U) Official January-October 2005 drug statistics (provided
by SODC).
¶45. (U) BEGIN TEXT, INCSR SUMMARY TABLES.
SUMMARY TABLES FOR THREE YEARS
-- 1. COCA. VIETNAM PRODUCED NO COCA IN 2005 OR PREVIOUS YEARS.
-- 2. POTENTIAL COCA LEAF. NOT APPLICABLE TO VIETNAM.
-- 3. OPIUM.
STATISTICAL TABLE
DRUG CULTIVATION (HECTARES) 2005 2004 2003
HARVESTABLE CULTIVATION 12.9 32.5 94
ERADICATION 12.9 32.5 94
POPPY HARVESTED (SEEDS) 0 0 0
-- 4. POTENTIAL OPIUM GUM. NOT AVAILABLE.
-- 5. CANNABIS. SODC admits cannabis cultivation in Vietnam's
southern provinces of Dong Nai, An Giang and Dong Thap. However,
the area is relatively small. SODC has no figures available on
how many hectares of cannabis plants were uprooted in these
provinces. Cannabis also enters Vietnam from Cambodia.
-- 6. POTENTIAL CANNABIS YIELD. NOT APPLICABLE.
-- 7. DRUG SEIZURES IN KILOGRAMS:
STATISTICAL TABLE
SEIZURES 2005 2004 2003
¶A. COCA LEAF N/A N/A N/A
¶B. COCAINE PASTE N/A N/A N/A
¶C. COCAINE BASE N/A N/A N/A
¶D. COCAINE HCL N/A N/A N/A
E/F.OPIUM 55,1 58.6 254.3
¶G. HEROIN 256 240 239.8
¶H. CANNABIS 3,339 1,021 329.3
¶I. OTHERS, BY UNITS (TUBES OF ADDICTIVE DRUGS)
5,012 (ATS) 33,756
-- 8. ILLICIT LABS. DURING 2004, SODC REPORTED NO LABS BEING
DESTROYED. STATISTICS FOR 2005 N/A.
-- 9. DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION OF ILLICIT DRUGS. NO AVAILABLE
STATISTICS.
-- 10. ARRESTS.
NUMBER OF ARRESTS BY NUMBER OF CASES/NUMBER OF PERSONS ARRESTED.
2005 2004 2003
9,936/15,018 12,000/18,260 10,000/16,000
-- 11. USERS.
NUMBER OF REGISTERED DRUG ADDICTS
2005 2004 2003 2002
170,000 161,000 152,900 131,000
MARINE